We are building an exciting new program in an emerging field and invite you to be a part of it. As a unique feature, the criminal justice major will offer cutting-edge courses in restorative justice. Restorative Justice emphasizes the ways in which crime harms relationships in the context of community. (Minnesota Department of Corrections)

Restorative justice is a victim-centered response to crime that provides opportunities for those most directly affected by crime—the victim, the offender, their families and representatives of the community—to be directly involved in responding to the harm caused by the crime.

“Competence, Compassion, Commitment,” and positive social change and service to the community are at the forefront of the Criminal Justice program. The heart of the major is people caring about and effectively supporting other people, while promoting social justice.

The criminal justice major will offer a focused interdisciplinary exposure to all aspects of crime and criminal jus­tice. Courses in the program include those dealing with crime, youth, and the responses to crime and delinquency by criminal justice agencies and organizations in the community. The criminal justice curriculum has a liberal arts framework which prepares students for graduate school as well as for criminal justice related employment in industry or government.

SPECIFIC INFORMATION

The Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice combines a core of basic and applied courses that provide the student with a practical liberal arts perspective of this growing field. The student will gain a solid understanding of the criminal justice system, with particular emphasis in the following areas:

Critical Approaches to the study of crime and society

Alternative Methods in justice

Restorative Justice

Juvenile Justice

Policing

Courts

Corrections

Criminal Justice majors will have the opportunity to complete an Internship and work on community projects through ser­vice learning, which will assist students to be urban leaders in their fields, and in their communities.

CAREER INFORMATION

The criminal justice major seeks to foster the development of graduates who will be catalysts for social and personal change in the urban environment. Careers in the Criminal Justice field can be found at the grass-roots, community, local, county, state, and federal levels.

SPECIAL ELEMENTS OF THE PROGRAM

Academic Performance

Only required courses with a grade no lower than a C can be applied to fulfill the Criminal Justice major.

Transfer Student Information

For transfer information please contact the College Transfer Coordinator.

Computer Literacy Requirement

Students complete their computer literacy requirement in Criminal Justice by taking CJ 351.

Writing Intensive Requirement

All Criminal Justice majors must take CJ 351 as their writing intensive course.

Awards

Students may be eligible to win the following criminal justice award based on their scholarly work. The award is the Criminal Justice Award for outstanding criminal justice student.

Credit by examination

Credit by examination, tutorial study and cooperative work experiences are other features of the program. Permission of the department head is required to select these options. Not more than four credit hours in cooperative work experience may be counted within the 128 credit hours required for a degree.

Program Offering

The B.A. in Criminal Justice program is primarily a day program, some courses are offered in the evening on a rotating schedule. The minor in Criminal Justice program is primarily a day program, some courses are offered in the evening on a rotating schedule.